Automatic-releasing cable-grip.



R. M. DiXON.

AUTOMATIC RELEASING CABLE GRIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

' ATTOREY W I TNLSJES gxmm THF NORRIS PETERS CO4. FHOTOLITHDH WASHINGTON. D. C.

RANDALL 1VI. DIXON, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC-RELEASING CABLE-GRIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed May 14, 1914. Serial No. 838,497.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RANDALL M. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic- Releasing Cable-Grips; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in grips used for engaging cables especially cables used for conveyers for the transportation of trucks or other carriage means from one point to another.

The object of the invention is to produce a grip attachable to the member to be transported, which grip can be readily thrown into frictional contact with the cable and when the member being transported has reached its terminal, the said grip is en gageable with a stop member whereby the friction engagement with the cable is automatically released allowing the grip to drop free from the cable.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eflective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved grip. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view of a bumper head. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an endless cable showing the method of attaching a truck or other member thereto by means of my improved grip and also showing the terminal stop upon the cable. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the terminal stop member.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the endless cable suitably positioned, as a conveyer at any suitable point, as for instance from a water craft to the shore or from one point to another in a factory, mill or other similar place. Said cable of course operates over suitable pulleys 2 or any other desired structure.

The numeral 3 designates the truck or other member to be transported from point to point and my improved grip is attached to such member 3 and is removably engageable with the cablel by means of its structure which is as follows, namely :The grip proper comprises a plate 4 having on one side a raised shoulder 5. The numeral 6 designates an arm swingingly mounted on the plate 1, as at 7 and provided at its upper end with a keeper bar 8 engageable with a latch 9 pivotally mounted within the plate 4. as at 10. The normal engaged position of the latch 9 with the keeper 8 is maintained by a spring 11 engaging the said latch 9. Pivotally mounted on the arm 6, as at 12, is an eccentric cam 13 having a projecting arm 1%. Flexibly connected with the arm 14 is a link 15 movable through a guide 16 and held in place in said guide 16 by engaging the edge of the arm 6 as shown. The outer end of the link 15 is provided with an eye 17 by means of which the grip may be secured to the member 3 through the medium of a chain 18. The grip is secured to the cable 1 by projecting the cable between the shoulder 5 and the cam '13 and the forward movement of the cable pulling against the eccentric cam 13 and against the weight of the member 3 through the medium of the arm 14,

and link brings said cable 3 into frictional contact between the shoulder 5 and the cam 13 causing the grip to firmly hold onto the cable so that with the forward movement of the cable, the member 3 will be carried or transported therewith. When a terminal point is reached by the member 3, the grip is automatically released from the cable 1 by means of the following structure, namely: On the outer end of the plate 4 and extending parallel to the position in which the cable extends, is provided a sleeve 19 having a cross portion 20. A pin 21 is movable through the sleeve 19 and is held in position by having an elongated slot 22 receiving the pin 20 to allow of a limited longitudinal movement of the pin 21. The pin 21, at itsinner end, engages the latch 9 and at its outer end is provided with a bumper head 23. When the member 3 reaches its terminal point, the bumper head 23 engages a stop 24 on a rider 25 fixed at any desired point on the cable 1 by means of guy-rods 26. When said bumper head strikes said stop 24, it moves the pin 21 against the latch 9 disengaging said. latch from the keeper bar 8. The arm 6 then is pulled to open position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,

order to determine the longitudinal position of the grip on the cable.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

WVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described comprising a plate, a shoulder on said plate, a swinging arm on said plate, means normally holding said swinging arm in fixed position, means pivotally mounted on said arm and movable to a point adjacent said.

comprising a platc,a shoulder on said plate,

a swinging arm on said pla'te,a latch normally holding SZLlCl: swinging arm in fixed 7 position, an eccentric cam pivotally mounted to said arrn and movable to a point adjacent said shoulder and means for releas'lng's'ald I arm from its normal fixed position and allowing it to swing to carry said cam away from said shoulder, as described.

3. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a cable, of

, said plate, a spring pressed latch normally engagin said arm, a frictional member car ried by said arm and movable adjacent said shoulder, and a member slidably mounted in said plate and engageable with said latch to release the same from engagement with said arm, as described.

5. A device of the character described comprising the combination with an endless cable, of an independent member engageable with said cable, such independent member comprising a plate provided with a shoulder, africtional means adapted to be actuated by the movement of said cable to bind said cable against said shoulder, an obstacle mounted adjacent the path of said cable and a member carried by said'independent mem berengageabie with said obstacle to release said frictional means from said cable, whereby said independent member will be released from said cable, as described.

. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RANDALL M. DIXON.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA B. WEBST R, V FLOYD M. BLAN'OHARD.

(Topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by adilre'ssing the Commissioner of Iatents,

' Washington, D. C. 

